Form brace



April 17, 1956 D. c. FINDLEY 2,741,821

FORM BRACE Filed May 18, 1953 BY wig/lm TORNEYS United States Pate FDRM BRACE Deon C. Findley, Concord, Calif.

Application May 1S, 1953, Serial No. 355,7@

s claims. (ci. frs- 118) i The present invention relates to an improved adjustable brace for concerte forms and the like which is re-usable and may be rapidly installed and removed for engagement with forms of various sizes and on level or sloping terrain.

it is the custom when pouring concrete or the like to erect forms for retaining same until solidiiieation thereof and to define the boundaries of the mixture. Such forms are ordinarily formed of lumber and do not comprise a permanent part of the structure but rather are intended for removal after the concrete has set into a solid state. Concrete forms include not only the form lumber defining a wall against which the concrete ows and presses during pouring but also bracing outside of the Wall supporting same against the weight of the wet concrete. It is common practice to drive stakes or posts into the ground for supporting the concrete form wall as in the case of building foundations or slab concrete and further to provide wooden angle braces from such stakes into the ground or into attachment with further posts driven into the ground at a distance from the wall, inasmuch as the concrete form must have great strength to withstand the pressure of the wet concrete in even a fairly shallow building foundation for example.

The construction of conventional concrete forms as set out above is quite expensive and time-consuming and such forms are not readily adapted to disassembly after the concrete has hardened so that time is also lost in this operation and much of the form lumber is damaged in disassembly. Additionally, dimculty is encountered with standard forms, particularly on sloping terrain in the alignment of the forms in a horizontal plane so that the finished concrete foundation or the iike will be level, for time-consuming manual lifting of the form lumber is necessitated to position same for nailing to the braces. Also, with the use of the conventional stakes, they must be driven along the building line to a considerable depth below the intended bottom of the concrete footings, and this operation often causes the trench walls to crumble before the forms are in position.

The present invention provides an improved adjustable brace adapted for engagement with lumber or other dat material forming a concrete form wall and adapted to position same in desired alignment or relation to the rest of the form. The improved brace is readily engageable with form lumber and also readily disengages same from hardened or set concrete and itself from the form lumber. It is contemplated that heavier form lumber may be employed with the improved brace of the present invention so as to be more readily reusable inasmuch as the brace provides for adjustment of the form lumber position, and further, the brace of the present invention provides maximum support for the form wall so as to preclude slipping or failure thereof and consequent damage to the setting concrete.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved brace adapted for ready engagement and/or disengagement with concrete forms.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ICC an improved form brace including means for positioning forms engaged thereby.

A furtherobject of the present invention is to provide an improved form brace adapted for engagement with and support of concrete forms of varying size and providing means for readily removing such forms from hardened concrete poured therein.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved form brace that is removably engageable with concrete forms and is adapted for anchoring to the ground or other footing whether same is aligned with or inclined with respect to the form.

Yet .another object of the invention is to provide means of the character described which will obviate the need of driving the stakes along the margins or walls of the trench in which the concrete is to be poured.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

' Figure l is a sectional elevation of a concrete slab building foundation with forms thereabout and supported by improved form braces in accordance with the present invention, there being two variations of the brace shown.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the improved form brace shown at the left of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the improved form brace of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial elevation of the embodiment of the form brace shown at the right of Figure l.

Considering now the structural details of the invention, and referring to the drawings, there is shown an excavation in the ground 11 of a sloping lot for a concrete slab such as those employed for buildings. This excavation is intended to be lled with concrete 12 which will extend above the ground level and must therefore be confined by forms 13 which are shown as vertically disposed timbers 14. The forms 13 may be made of two-inch-thick lumber planks 14 with the plank width being substantially equal to the desired form height above ground. The concrete slab 15 is sealed against weather by a membrane 16 which is disposed within the excavation prior to pouring of the concrete and which is extended upward therefrom contiguous with the inner surface of the form 13. In addition to the vertical plank wall 14 the form 13 must have supporting members disposed in engagement with the form exterior to the excavation for preventing the form from collapsing outwardly when the wet concrete is poured into the forms. This support is provided by improved form braces of the present invention which are disposed about the form at spaced intervals, and there is shown in Figure l braces 16 and 17 which are slightly dierent for the reasons noted below.

Considering now the structural details of one embodiment of the invention and referring .to Figures 2 and 3, the improved adjustable brace 16 includes a at elongated base member 18 having spaced transverse slots 19 therein and adapted for disposition upon the ground or other solid footing adjacent forms to be supported by the brace. As shown in Figure l, the base member 18 may be secured to the ground-11 by iron or other structurally rigid spikes 21 which are preferably formed as narrow plates to mate with the slots 19 in base 18 and have right angle projections at the top thereof for engagement with the top surface of base member 18 for locking same in position against the ground. Pivotally-mounted at one end 24 lfor engagement with slide bar 26 to lock'samein anyV desired relation to mounting'block 24. There is carried upon slide bar 26 an angle plate 23 which is adapted to Y. engage and position aplank 14 of Aform 1 3 and angle plate 28 is Y formed with a straight center position disposed parallel to slide'bar v 26and aipair of oppositely extending end portions of which the upper portion 29 is rigidlyattaohed as by welding to the upper end of slide 'bar 26 in overlapping relation thereto. VThe lower portion 3l of angleplate 28 extends perpendiularly from the center portion thereof away f roin slide j bar 2 6 so as to carry a form plank which then also rests against the center portion of angle plate 2S. Preferably a barb 39 is provided op the upper Side of plaie portion 3l ip order to'hold the plank .thereon- There is provided, in addition vto the above described elements of brace 16, means for angularly positioning the angle plate `28 thereof fordisposing a plank carried thereby inV desired vertical alignment. Such means include a turplouokle 3 2 whioh iS pivotally mounted upon the .upper surface of 'base member 18 by a hinge 33 rigidly secured thereto at a distance `from plate 22 and is pivotally mounted by a hinge 34 'to the top kportion 29 of angle plate 23 overhangingslide bar '2 6'. All members `of the brace 16 are formed of material having good structural strength, such as iron or the like, and rigid connection of the members maybe insured by welding.

in operation, the brace 16is irstfirrnlysecured to the ground or other steady footing as by driving spikes 21 through slots 19 in base memberl into the VAground 111 with the bracedisposed with the angle plate 28 thereof in alignment wit'nthe outer edge of the vform 13 to be braced. lies lide bar 26 is then slid vertically within mounting block 24 to position the angle plate 28 at the desired height and after locking slide bar 26 in position relative to mounting block 24 by set screw 27 a plank or tirnber may be placed edgewise upon angle plate 2S .with the lower portion 3l thereof disposed .beneath and supporting the planlf. 14. Vertical alignment of the form plank is .obtained by turning turnbuckle 32 which thereby pivots angleplateZS, slide bar A26,-rnounting bloclc24 and plate 2 2' abbutthe bottom of .plate 2 2 upon hinge 23. It will beappreciated that. no set sequence of operations is necessary to position the form plank carried by the ,brace but that, Awhatever themannerof use, the brace operates to vcarry the form plank and to .easily vary both the vertical position thereof and the vertical alignment thereof. Normally a .number of braces would be employed at spaced intervals along a form tobe supported and aligned thereby and there may be provided in the central portion of angle plate 2 8 a number of holes by means of which planks may be aiixed thereto as by nails when it is desired toidiSpoSe the form off verdeel or sloping outward at the bottom. It is to be noted that no portion ofthe ongle plaie is required 'Io be driven into the ground. per-tioplerly alone the building line or trepoh walls- Tous there will be no danser of eufoh Walls crumbling during the application of the stake before the form boards are plaeedio positionvAttentionis invited to the fact that with the brace in engagement Willie forni plank 14-218 Sherwin Figure l. .for exemple Ywhereindie plank is vertically aligned, the apaleplete 2 8 end formplenli le eerriedtlierebymey 'be rotated about hinge ,23 to remove the dorp: from oeperete bedoel. Also bylooeedipsrthe setSoreW-N op paoliniingibloeklel, die Slide ber and eagle -breee may bereadily litedepdrotated ae byihand or by .placing e .piek or die like beneath a convenient part of angle plate 28 and lift-V ing. The'form-is-thus-readily removedfromt-he concrete and this operation is additionally simplified by the membrane 15 between the form and concrete which prevents adherence of concrete and form.

While provision is made for vertically positioning the form supported by the improved brace 16 there are instances where quite high forms must be supported so that a longer angle plate 28 is desirable. Such a situation is illustrated in Figure l wherein the foundation form Yat the lower end ofa sloping `lot is required to be higher so that a horizontal concrete slab can Ybe poured thereon and the brace 17 there shown is modied to provide the requisite support. Figure 4, includes an angle plate 36 having an elongated center portion to accommodate and support form lumber such'as a 2 X l2 plank. Rather than requiring separate braces Yfor both .Shallow and deeporrns the present invention provides in vbrace A17 a modided lordi wheteiultlie angle plate 3 5 has the top portion thereof rigidly seemed to the top of a slide bar 26 as in brace 16 'but has the upper hogefor tumboolde 32 secured to e slide block 3 8 rather than to thernounting block 24 as in brace 16. Thus the brace ,17 is 4 identical to brace 1 6 except for the provision of an elongated slide bar 26 with a slide block 3S slidably engaginssame above mounting block ,24.and carrying v the upper `turnbuckle hinge 37. Also, there is provided an additional set s crew 39 which is threaded into slide block 3 8 for engagement with slide bar 26 1to look slide block .3.8 in desired .position thereon. It will beeppreeiated thebraoe A17 iS operated the Seme as brace 1 6 exeept thetthe .upper end of tumbuekle 32 is displaceable from the 7top of slide bar 2 6 so that a longer slide ber and ensleplete may be employed- Whet is .Claimed is:

l. An improved form brace comprising Va basementber adapted for mounting upon the Vground carrying means pivotally mounted at one end of said base member, and including an angle plate slidable, with respect to said base member and having a lower flange adapted `to engage and vsupport :a form adjacent -the lower edge thereof, and threaded means pivotally connected between said base member and said carrying means ata distance from the pivotal connection therebetween for adjusting the angular disposition of said carrying means.

2. Animproved form brace comprising abase member, Y

a plate pivotally connected to said base member, a slide bar .slidably engaging said plate, an angie plate rigidly attached Yto ,said slide barfor supporting a form,I and threaded n ieenis pivotally connected to said base member and to said angle :plate for varyingthe angular relation of said baseand plate'.

3. An improved form brace comprising abuse member, an angle :platehaying .two portions extending normal to each other and adapted for disposition with one portion thereof beneath a form plank, a plate pivotally `mounted upon .said base -member, a slide bar rigidly .secured to said angle .plate and slidably mounted upon said plate for varying -the relative disposition of said base member and 2-.ngle.plate,V and threaded means `connected between said base member and said slide barafor varying the relative alignment of .said base .memberand angle plate whereby a form plankarried yby said. angle plate .is readily positionable relatiye to said base member. l

4. An .improved forni brace comprising a base member adapted to be rigidly secured tothe ground, a Vplate pivotally mounted at one end of Isaid .base .-rnernber, a mounting block secured to said -plateand having an elongated sperme therethrough substantially parallel to said plete, .d alide baifslidebly engaging seidzpiountiia bleek through the aperture therein, locking means said mounting block for meipieipids e predetermined :relative Position of said -slide her .epd Seid b look, apdpale.p1ete rigidly secured to said slide barter mouementtherewith and inelddios @e first portion .extending rleositudinauy of Thisbraee 17, as vshown in part in said bar and a second portion extending substantially normal thereto away from said base member whereby said angle plate is adapted to engage and carry a form plank, and a turnbuckle pivotally connected to said base member and to said angle plate for varying the relative angular disposition of said angle plate and base member to align a form plank carried by said angle plate.

5. An improved form brace comprising a base member adapted for rigid mounting, mounting means pivotally connected to one end of said base member and having an elongated aperture therein, a slide bar slidably engaging said mounting means through the aperture therein, locking means for securing said slide bar in fixed relation to said mounting means, an angle plate rigidly aixed to the top of said slide bar and extending along said slide bar with a right-angle portion extending away from said slide bar and adapted to extend beneath a form plank for carrying same, a slide block mounted upon said slide bar in slidable engagement therewith and having locking means for rigid attachment to saidl slide bar, and a turnbuckle pivotally mounted upon said base member and said slide block for adjusting the alignment of said angle plate and a form plank carried thereby.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

